Joint for sheet-metal vessels.



L. LIBBMAN.

JOINT FOR SHEET METAL VESSELS.

nrmouron rum) JULY 12.1900.

PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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, UNITED STATES LOUIS LIBBMAN, OF EVERETT,

PATENT OFFICE.

MASSACHUSETTS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed July 12,1906. Serial No. 325,775.

Patented April 30, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, LOUIS LIBBMAN, a. citi zen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Joints for Sheet-Metal Vessels, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on parts.

' My invention relates to the joint or seam of sheet metal vessels.

As at present made, the lock seam at the top and bottom of the body of large milkcans and at the bottom of wash boilers, tubs, etc., whenconstructed out of tin and the like, are very weak. For instance, a large milk can is subjected continually to more or less rough lateral blows at the edges, especially at the bottom, which it is ill-adapted to withstand.

Accordingly I- have invented a seam construction or joint at the seam for articles of this nature, which is at once exceedingly strong, neat and inexpensive. My joint improves the external ap earance of the article, and does not materially add to the labor of manufacture or cost.

In the drawings, in which I have shown my invention applied in avariety of ways,

3 Figure 1 is a central vertiealseetional view of slightly different ki a large milk can constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the joint; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional details showing the rocess of formin a n of joint from t at similar sectional 7 is an enlarged of joint shown in shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a view of a wash'boiler; Fi sectional detail of the kin Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a central 4,view of a sheet metal tub; Fig. 9 is an ensho 5e and the hk Y a curve top or breast 2 verging into a provided with handles 5. 5 5

larged sectional view of the joint thereof; and

ther modification of my joint, Fig. 11 showing the same partially made and Fig. 10

said joint com leted.

It w' 1 be understoo applicable to ractically all kinds ofsheet metal vessels, being herein shown as a plied to usualheavy tinware, such as' mil 1 I have shown a milk can 1 havin usua cylindrical neck 3 and flaring mouth 4 and The seam which I ave shown at the top and bottom of the lnFi the drawings representing like vertical sectional 10 and 11 are sectional views of a fur that my invention isbody 6 is of the usual kind, and therefore needs no description, consisting simply of the two edges of the adjacent sheets turned and interlocked and then tightly pressed together, as shown at 7. This is the ordinary kind of seam, and it is evident that standing alone, as shown for instance at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, a lateral blow on the seam would very readily bend and dent the same. Accordingly, to give great strength as well simplicity of construction and neatness of ex ternal appearance, I have formed a metal groove at the back of the seam 7 and approximately the same depth as the width of the seam, said groove having a vertical wall 8 from the upper end of which it curves inwardly and downwardly at 9, and in this groove I place a metal supporting back, herebar or heavy wire 10, althoughIwish it understood that the groove may simply be filled with solder or other metal molded to the shape of a bar or wire 10 or to other fanciful shape if desired. As shown in Fig. 1, this supporting back projects beyond the plane of the bottom, to constitutes, foot or support for the can, as indicated at 11, and also preferably projects seam 7, as indicated at 12. As s own in the upper end of the can, the cavity is filled in beneath the bar or wire 10 at 13, so as entirely t-o fill the cavity with the supporting back of metal, whereas at the bottom the wire or bar 10 is simply forced tightly into the groove and is secured in place by the agate or the like, thereby closing the cavity and securing the seam 7 and its reinforcing back completely and fully by the one finishing process of dipping in the usual manner. In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 I have shown a construe.- tion which .is better adapted to somewhat lighter articles than shown in Fig. 1 In 3a seam 14 of usual construction is shown, behind which is a cavity 15 which in cross section is deep and slender, having its inner wall 16 parallel to the. seam and verging at 17 in a curve above the top of the scam, the lower end of the wall 16 curving directly against the vertical wall 18 of the vessel at 19, thereby producing a back support cavity substantially the same as before described excepting that it is narrow. In this cavity I j place a band or flattened rod 20, as shown in ig; 4, which has a curved upper end 21 and with shown and preferably consisting of a and externally at the to above the process of galvanizing or dipping in solder or a perfectly flat bottom,

ner, thereby filling in and uniting the parts still more intimately.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a wash boiler 23 having a seam 24 of any usual construction, herein shown as the same as the seams 7 and 14 previously mentioned, and immediately belnndthis scam I form a oove 25 substantially the same as bef "e, and secure therein a supporting back, which may likewise be in the form of a rod 26, the cavity being shown as entirely filled with solder 27, and in this case the rod 26 comes flush with the bottom 28 of the boiler, thereby making which strongly resists pressure, either vertically or laterally,

. because of the sup orting back to the seam.

.lower end, which lprojects own at 36, to constitute a foot or wear surface for supporting the tub.

Because of its pe ectly flat construction it transmits heat 1n asuperior manner- I wish to make the point clear that my construction affords a good heat-transmitting flat bottom, which is stron whereas the ordinary; fiat bottom in whic the metal 28 of the bottom extends directly out fiat to the seam which it forms with the side of the vessel, is exceed mg yweak. When the wash boiler is dipped,

the slight cavities about the sup orting back 26 are filled in flat, or insteadof dipping, hard solder may be run around in any other manner. F

In Fig. 8 I have shown a tub 29 havinga cavity 30 formed back of the seam 31, very much like the cavity 15 shown in 3, excepting that it extends upwardly a 10 r distance on the inside of the tub. In t cavity I place a supporting back 32, which is corrugatedat its up er end at 33 and has an outwardly-bent em rac' edge 34 at its Iwlow the bottom 35 of the tub, as s This lower rolled edge of the hoop or rod 32 may be formed in the process of making the tub. When the arts are put in place the seam and wall of tile tub are pressed inwardly so 'as to fit tightly against the supporting back and fill the corrugated curves thereof, the article then being dipped, soldered or otherwise treated, if desired, andthe article will then be found to present an'exceedingly neat appearance as well as being smooth on the inside and having great strength ofresistance to strains in all directions.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a still further modification, Fig. 11 indicating at 37 the vertical wall adjacent the bottom or horizontal wall of a vessel. vided with a reentrant bend to form a pocket The bo tom is prosmall opening between the fiat portion of the bottom and said pinched edge, which is filled in when the article is dipped in agate solution or is galvanized or the like. Thesame dip ping process servesto join and fill in the contiguo'us surfaces of the inside of the vessel, so that the finished. appearance presented is bstantially that shown in Fi 10. t will be understood that I have not attempted to present all the variations of my invention, but have merely shown a sufficient variety of embodiments thereof to make the general construction clear.

My invention is adapted to a wide variety of uses, and arrangements, and as already intimated, the supporting back of solid metal or equivalent strong, rigid material may be molded into the groove by castin or it may be previously formed and inserte or it may be a combination ofthe two, especially when an external nornamental appearance is desired, as shown in Fig; .1, in which case the upper surface of the wire gives a head-like effect more readily and to better advantage than could be secured by attempting to mold the supportingback from molded solder or the like. 7

Another distinct advantage of my invention is that the shoulder of the groove or pocket'forms a good gage to enable the workman to form the solder to a true line so as to make a symmetrical, neat appearance. Heretofore it has been extremely difficult to secure this result.

My invention is distinguished in employing an external groove or receiving cavity immediately adjacent and behind the seam which is to be supported and then filling in this cavity with suitable resistent material for giving the strong, practically solid extension of the seam. The weakness which it is my aim to overcome is due to the presence of the seam at these places where said seam is necessarily subjected to a great deal of rough usage, v

By having the external pocket or groove at the back or the seam, the manufacture of the can or article is greatly facilitated, inasmuch as this groove can be availed of for supporting the seam-making tools and afl'ording resistance'to pressure as the seam is being formed, and then when the perfectly formed seam is completed the supporting back is inserted and secured, not only serving to fill up the groove which would-otherwise become foul,

but supporting the seam at the critical points where it needs support, said supporting back beingfolocated and arranged-and so braced by t e groove and the contained solder or other 'unitin of weight w maximum of strength. also to the beauty and article when the form shown in Figs. 15 is used.

By having the supporting back or metal bar or wire at the bottom arranged to extend into the vessel above the plane of the bottom, or in other words, by having the bottom extend from said bar or wire below the top edge of the baror Wire and preferably at or below the middle thereof, I secure great strength and bracing etl'ect to withstand the rough material as to add a minimum e at the same time givin a It materially adds lateral blows at the edges of the bottom heretofore referred to. This is especially true when the bottom occupies the intermediate position between the top edge and the bottom edge of the strength-giving supporting back as shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 9,

and I intend'my claims to cover the same ir-' respective of whether the pocket or groove is an outwardly opening one or not. This is especially true for the bottom, my invention including a bottom sheet extending integrally across the bottom to the adjacent upright side, whereit is crimped therewith into an ex ternal seam, adjacent which the laterally 'formedpocket, whether opening outwardly or not, is so located as to embrace one edge only of the sup orting back whose o posite edge extends aterally from the a jacent plane of the bottom beyond said pocket and lies bodily between the flat bottom portion of said bottom sheet and the opposite side of the vessel.

Having described my inventlon, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

l. A sheet-metal vessel, having two of its component sheets united by an external seam, one of said sheets being bent laterally against the other sheet behind said seam and thence outwardly deflected to form a pocket immediately behind said seam,

opening externally, and a rigid supporting back held in said pocket for supporting Still external finish of the.

supporting said pocket 2. In a sheet-metal vessel, the combination with an external seam, of a pocket or groove formed in said vessel behind said seam and 'opening outwardly, and a metal supporting back held in said jectin slightly externally of the vessel.

3. n a sheet-metal vessel, the combination with an external scam, of a pocket or groove formed in said vessel behind said seam and opening outwardly, {and a metal back held in said pocket and projecting slightly externally .of the vessel, said supporting back being relatively deep and narrow in cross-section and interlocking with the adjacent metal on its outer surface.

4. A sheet metal vessel, having its upright side and its bottom united in an external seam, combined with a peripheral supporting back for said seam, bent angularly flat againstsaid supporting back and thence extending throughout the entire area of the bottom of the vessel integrallv from said back at a point below the top edge of said back.

5 A sheet metal vessel, having its bottom extending integrally flatwise across the entire area of the bottom of the vessel and deflected laterally at the edge of the inclosure in the form of an imperforate pocket, the free edge of said bottom being united with the upright side of the vessel by a seam externally of said pocket, and a stiff peripheral supporting back secured in said pocketand projeeiing from the open side of the pocket, thereby bringing the fiat portion of the bottom in a Iplane intermediate the top and bottom edges of said back.

6. A sheet metal Vessel, having its bottom and the adjacent Side unit-ed by an external seam, an outwardly opening pocket or groove being formed in said bottom behind said seam, and a metal supporting back held in said pocket and projecting below the bottom, the lower projecting edge of said back being outwardly bent. beneath said scam.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence oi t\\ o subscribing witnesses.

- LOUIS LlBBKL-MY,

\Vit nesses;

Uno. ll. .\l. \x\\'lllil.. M. J. Smunxo.

pocket and presaid bottom being 

